Towards a Comprehensive Understanding of Anesthetic Mechanisms of Action: A Decade of Discovery

Publication date: Available online 27 May 2019Source: Trends in Pharmacological SciencesAuthor(s): Hugh C. Hemmings, Paul M. Riegelhaupt, Max B. Kelz, Ken Solt, Roderic G. Eckenhoff, Beverley A. Orser, Peter A. GoldsteinSignificant progress has been made in the 21st century towards a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of action of general anesthetics, coincident with progress in structural biology and molecular, cellular, and systems neuroscience. This review summarizes important new findings that include target identification through structural determination of anesthetic binding sites, details of receptors and ion channels involved in neurotransmission, and the critical roles of neuronal networks in anesthetic effects on memory and consciousness. These recent developments provide a comprehensive basis for conceptualizing pharmacological control of amnesia, unconsciousness, and immobility.
Source: Trends in Pharmacological Sciences - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: research